Aviva plc has appointed Amanda Blanc as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

Currently, Blanc is an Independent Non-Executive Director at Aviva plc. She was appointed to the Aviva Board in January 2020 and chairs the Customer, Conduct and Reputation Board Committee.

Earlier, Blanc served as CEO, EMEA & Global Banking Partnerships at Zurich Insurance Group.

Blanc's appointment came after Maurice Tulloch, who was earlier the CEO has resigned from the role citing family and health reasons.

George Culmer, Chairman of Aviva, said, “I would like to thank Maurice for his valuable contribution over many years with Aviva. The Board and I were saddened to hear of the personal reasons behind his desire to step down and we wish him and his family the very best for the future.

“We are delighted that Amanda will be our new CEO. The Board was unanimous in endorsing her appointment. I know she will bring real dynamism to Aviva and re-establish our credentials as a high-performing, innovative and customer-centric business.”

“Aviva is a great company, full of great people, and I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to help shape its future. I want Aviva to be the leader in our industry again and the first choice for our customers and partners. My focus will be on achieving that for the benefit of all of our stakeholders,” stated Blanc.

“We will look at all our strategic opportunities, and at pace. I have been on the Aviva Board since the start of this year and have a good understanding of where the business has its strengths and what actions we should take across our portfolio.”